Surgical Management of Pulmonary Histoplasmosis

¹ Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center

Resectional surgery either for diagnostic purposes or to remove destroyed lung tissue was carried out in 30 cases of pulmonary histoplasmosis with only one postoperative progression. The fact that this occurred in a patient with a solitary pulmonary nodule is of interest because of the usual benign nature of this form of the disease. Adequate surgical excision with careful follow-up and the judicious use of specific chemotherapy only in selected cases appears to be the most rational approach. The overall outlook in surgically treated histoplasmosis is favorable in those patients with solid lesions or disease of short duration. Patients with chronic long-standing cavitary disease which is progressive have a more serious prognosis with any form of therapy.